The Faculty of Thinking

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is (Part 1)

2012-01-13T23:48:00.001-05:00

I often write about the "can do nothing wrong" iPhone and "it's not an iPhone" Android. Clearly, I've been biased for a while and I can recognize that. It's the same ongoing debate that has plagued tech-enthusiasts for as long as there has been competition. Betamax vs. VHS, Mac OS X vs. Windows, DVD vs. DivX (Ha!), HD-DVD vs. Blu-Ray, and of course iOS vs. Android. So, enough is enough, and even though my previous post about the Galaxy Nexus led me to believe I had made up my mind, I have to admit- the interest was still there.

Now, I don't update frequently enough, don't have enough Klout, nor do I have enough readers to make a case to just ask Samsung for a demo unit for review purposes, so as the title of the post suggests I needed to put some money into this debate. As a quick recap, Android 4.0 finally sparked my interest to a boiling point that I had to truly use it and not just demo it at a store. Also, I needed to see if Verizon Wireless would be the savior so many make it out to be. I've been in San Francisco this week so having a true need to rely on mobile devices and data, I decided what better time than now to have my own little experiment.

To put things into context: I am still in contract with AT&T with my iPhone 4 that I received the day before it was officially released in 2010. It still works great. I still love it. I bought a Samsung Galaxy Nexus on Verizon and am going to make the best of the 2-week trial period. The bottom line is if Android wins me over, I will port my number over from AT&T and cancel that contract. Oh and of course, I will have switched to Android in one fell swoop defying all that I've known for the past 4 years in terms of iOS world. However, if it doesn't, well then I'm left with two additional options: return the Nexus, pay fees and what not, and get a Verizon iPhone 4S instead (with only 2GB of data for $30/mo. instead of the current promotion of double-data for 4G devices) or cancel Verizon altogether and stick with my unlimited AT&T data plan and the trusty ol' iPhone 4. Unfortunately, working in New York City, AT&T is the bane of my existence but anyway...

My impression so far has been mixed. At certain times, I see something as minute as the font on ICS and it makes all the difference whereas other times I want to throw the phone away. The Nexus screen is huge and beautiful. ICS's multi-tasking feature is excellent, the notification bar and swipe down has always been a strong point and is still very good. Oh, and lest not forget- Verizon's 4G LTE network is blazing fast. I couldn't believe how fast I was downloading apps and refreshing my social networks. The horsepower underneath the huge screen is quick, snappy, and fluid as well. I would never have classified anything Android-based to be fluid before 4.0. The app market is strong, the built-in Google apps have all been updated and they're excellent.

However, 4 years of iOS sophistication and polish causes extra scrutiny to other features:

The GPS functionality is awful. I can never locate anything on FourSquare without searching for it. The Google Maps app, while outstanding UI (especially the pinch/zoom 3D building models), is inaccurate.
The camera is garbage. Sure, it has a very fast shutter speed when set to "Action" but the colors are washed out, all the photos look blurry, and the interface is still unintuitive. Perhaps this is the biggest deciding factor for me. I love the iPhone 4 camera, and the 4S is supposed to be much better than that? You're kidding, right? That doesn't leave any competition for Google.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus (5MP Auto, Flash Off)

Apple iPhone 4 (5MP, Not HDR, Flash Off)

The battery. Should I even elaborate? Well, I need to because due to my need for maximizing battery life for all of my portable devices, I purposely have my brightness turned down to the lowest setting, bluetooth disabled, WiFi disabled, GPS disabled (except when I need to use a location-based app), and the usual big vampire- 4G disabled. I let the phone stay on 3G and with every service basically turned off. Getting a full work-day worth of battery out of the device was a struggle. I think it finally gave out around 11 hours after a full-charge and minimal usage. 4G or not, this is unacceptable. In fact, with having it on 3G, and everything practically turned off/down, I couldn't even get 12 hours? Really Samsung/Google? You guys couldn't even figure that out? Steve Jobs has laid out what you guys needed to do for over 2 years now.
The build quality isn't as toyish as I hinted at in my previous post, but it is still made out of plastic, and does feel cheap when comparing to an iPhone (but this wouldn't cause me to not keep it).

I've been very adamant about giving this phone an honest chance, but if I have to treat it with such care for a whole day's worth of usage (or lack thereof) then it just isn't feasible. Sure, I could follow Android users advice- always keep a charger with you wherever you go and pack 19 extra batteries with me, but that's just silly.

Contrary to the tone of the aforementioned shortcomings, I could still see myself making the jump. If I were to ever cross over, it'd be for this device and now. However, there is a huge factor that I never even thought of when having all this debate in my head (and heart) about all this. I can't seem to love the Nexus.

When I first bought the iPhone 3G in 2008, the first week I thought I had made a grave mistake. "A touch-screen? I can't type on this! What the heck was I thinking? Apps? I don't need apps! It doesn't even support MMS!" But by the third day, I started really appreciating all the little details you notice only when truly using the device and I found myself falling in love with it. I know it sounds corny, but it's true. There have only been a handful of electronic devies that I have gained more appreciation for after the 'honeymoon phase' would wear off. Oh, and my iPhone 3G from 2008 still works just fine. In fact, my mother uses it as her primary phone. The iPhone 4? This was love at first sight. The specs, the features, the look, the feel, everything. I truly love everything about the iPhone 4 in terms of hardware. iOS 5 just sealed the deal and put the icing on the cake (insert additional clichés here). I'm sure I'd love the iPhone 4S just as much (if not more), but I'm not eligible for the upgrade yet (woo-hoo AT&T!).

After about 3 days of trying to utilize the Nexus as my primary smartphone, I found myself digging and reaching for my iPhone more and more. I yearned for it. It felt right. It felt comfortable. If I had to make a decision right now, I'd go back but I am forcing myself to continue to explore Android 4.0 and its nuances so I can find the little gems that Google may have hidden. ICS has its own fair share of little details that I wouldn't have discovered unless I had performed this little, albeit expensive experiment, so we'll see. I've found a few workarounds for some of my gripes, but the battery issue is still a major concern. Seven more days until I make a decision.

[overly enthusiastic] Stay Tuned for the 2nd part of the experiment/experience next weekend!

Project MAME - Stage 1-1

2012-01-06T15:37:00.003-05:00

I LOVE video games, I really do. I frequented arcades while my mom shopped. I cut class to play at the local deli. And even today I keep a collection of retro memories on my phone in case I have to wait longer than 3 minutes for anything. If there is any doubt for my love of video games, I posted a photo for proof below...

(Yes it's real lol)

Anyway it's been a long time dream of mine to build a MAME cabinet. For those that don't know it's basically an old school stand up arcade cabinet with some software running that will allow you to play old games. Thus teleporting you back in time to the golden age of gaming!

So and friend and I decided to finally do it. He needed an excuse to buy power tools and this seemed like a good enough reason as any. We ventured over to a few hardware stores, bought some supplies and headed back home. The objective is to build 2 cabinets (one for each of us), both 4 players with trackball and spinner (for Arkanoid!) and to modernize it a bit we are setting it up with a 32'' LCD monitor!

Some may scoff at the idea of an LCD monitor in an arcade cabinet. That's fine. I would love to do a CRT build and I realize older games just don't look as good on newer LCDs. But in reality the availability, longevity and hazards associated with a CRT aren't worth it for this particular build. It will play MAME games sure but it will also play some newer games as well - which take advantage of higher resolutions, colors and widescreen formats.

So we setup a makeshift work area in my bedroom/living room, hit the lights and cue'd up the music...

Measuring everything up...

Marking some panels ...

And us freezing our asses off in the dead of winter at midnight trying to make some cuts. Not the most ideal conditions but hey I told you we're dedicated and we love video games!!

For those interested the specs so far:
3/4'' MDF for the cabinet
32'' wide to fit the tv/monitor
4 Player Control Panel, with 4 joysticks, buttons, trackball & spinner
Lots and lots of power tools (Router, Circ saw, table saw, drill, etc)

...more to come!
--=Q=--

"Computer"

2012-01-04T12:08:00.002-05:00

I, like many nerds/geeks, grew up on a healthy dosage of sci-fi entertainment. The 80s definitely seemed to be filled with sci-fi movies, TV shows, and just an overall abundance of content that eventually dwindled down in the 90s.

Of course one of the best TV series of all time, Star Trek: The Next Generation and its 7 seasons and close to 200 episodes captured my imagination with space travel, advanced technology, and giving vision to the blind with a ridiculous looking visor. Nevertheless, the world that Mr. Roddenberry created took place in the 24th century around the year 2365. One easily perceived and assumed function was voice-activated interaction with the ship's computer/AI system.

Any crew member could ask the ship's computer anything, and it would respond in a gentle voice providing answers, reasons, etc. It wasn't just a search engine returning results. It was an answer engine- artificial intelligence able to manipulate the ship's systems, and answer whereabouts of crew members and other questions. Now, if this is fictionally taking place about 300+ years from now, think about where we actually are these days with Siri.

Siri is the "computer" from Star Trek, albeit in its beta and early form. Siri can handle iPhone functions, provide answers, and "converse" with you while doing so. In that regard, it's pretty amazing that it's being handled by a device no larger than one's hand. I have yet to get an iPhone 4S, and when Siri was initially announced, I was on the skeptical side thinking it can't be that good, can it? Well, I need to stop putting my Apple-doubt hat on from time to time because from the interactions I've seen others have with it, it's definitely more 24th century than 21st. I can't wait to see how it improves and when others also catch up.

It'd be interesting to see what Gene Roddenberry would have thought about Siri had he still been alive.

Almost Android, Almost...

2011-12-29T16:31:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, I posted about my ever-growing interest in picking up a Samsung Galaxy Nexus phone, the first officially running Android 4.0 - Ice Cream Sandwich. My cousin just received one while getting rid of his HTC Evo 4G and my uncle got one too - a long time loyal iPhone user. Both have become big fans.

Combined with the experiences of my family members (they're both technical), and the fact that when the phone actually launched a couple of weeks ago, Verizon stores had lines for it, my interest had been piqued. It's been backordered on Amazon every day I've looked too. If I'm going to switch to Android, I'd much rather get a Nexus device for a better software update rollout. So today, I decided that I need to either get one or at least understand why I shouldn't.

During a brief lunch break, I headed over to the mall to the local Verizon store. The demo unit was there waiting to be touched and played with in all its glory. It's huge (insert The Office catchphrase here). It also felt very underwhelming in terms of build quality. Speaking of which, for a quick comparison, I also held the DROID Razr and even with all its fancy materials, squeezing the phone in my hand, felt cheap and flimsy. The Galaxy Nexus wasn't much different, although I will admit it was better than the DROID Razr.

Android 4.0 overall looks and performs great on the Galaxy Nexus; flying through various menus, settings, and other basic functionality was excellent. However, after holding it for a couple of minutes, perhaps it's because I don't have the largest hands in the world, I just felt like my hands were getting a bit fatigued since it's so big. After a solid 10 minutes of playing around with the phone and enjoying it overall, I took out the trusty ol' iPhone 4 from my pocket.

Sorry Samsung/Android, hands down the iPhone build quality far exceeds that of the Galaxy Nexus. There's no comparison. Holding the iPhone 4 (released back in June of 2010), the Android device just felt like a toy. I have a few months left on my AT&T contract. I figured I'll wait until the next iteration of the iPhone or future Android 4.0+ devices are released before making any sort of jump (in device and carrier).

Almost Google... almost. Nicely done regardless.

Android Music Market

2011-12-28T16:29:00.004-05:00

Google rarely advertises on its homepage. I guess it's worth noting this is what I saw today:

Albums for $4.99, tracks for 49¢. Buy now, sync never. Android Market

I guess they're really gunning for Apple now. I suppose it's time. We have iTunes and Amazon both happy around the 99 cent price point. What better way to entice users than slashing the prices by half?

In other news, I am so tempted to switch over to Android with the Galaxy Nexus. Ice Cream Sandwich really does look appealing and finally a true competitor to iOS. 2012 will definitely be an interesting year for the mobile space.

Let's hope RIM goes out of business and Microsoft makes a decent push in market share with its new Nokia devices.

Thunderbolt I/O revisited. The Apple Docking Station.

2011-10-23T12:52:00.007-04:00

With low fanfare on July 20th of this year Apple introduced it's first attempt at realizing the potential of the Thunderbolt peripheral space: the Thunderbolt display.

It is a, you guessed it - a 27" Apple cinema display that communicates to the latest round of Macs via the Thunderbolt interface.

But provides THREE USB 2.0 ports, a GIGABIT ethernet port, and - a Firewire 800 port. O, and don't forget a built-in FaceTime HD camera and microphone. A true first step and finally - a suitable docking station for a Mac!

I've spoke about this before in a previous post and am excited to finally check out this piece of the future. However @ $999 it's a pretty expensive docking station.

Or, $999 for a Apple Cinema Display and it's first real docking station. Hmm.

Your shiny new iPhone 4S isn't as secure as you think.

2011-10-21T09:48:00.002-04:00

So I see millions of ~~sheep~~ err, people with the new iPhone 4s and all of them claiming Siri is their bestest new friend in the whole wide world. That's great, I'm happy for you. While the tech is not super new (Dr. Sbaitso anyone??) I admit asking my phone 'Where can I get drunk?' and having it return the closest bars to me is pretty useful. But more to the point, Apple has supposedly made our lives easier once again at the cost of security.

Let's do an experiment. Take your brandy new iPhone 4S, hold down the button and talk to Siri. Ask her to do a phone specific task, like 'Text Message Mom saying I'm in Jail' or 'Send an email to all employees saying drinks are on me after work'. Maybe I'll ask her to pull up the calendar to see where you are headed this weekend. Or maybe tell her to dial '1-900-MIXALOT' to 'shake that healthy butt'. She'll do it willingly and all WITHOUT HAVING TO ENTER YOUR SECURITY PIN.

Now some may say 'Hey it's a feature! When I want to talk to her I don't want to unlock my phone first!'. That's fine. When you lose your phone and I find it, I will harvest all your contacts for spam, post all your sexting pictures on imgur and god forbid you have it connected to a corporate email account! Man oh man, you know what they pay on IRC for valid credentials to corporate environments??

(Un)fortunately as a security person, breaking into shit (if you can call it that) is only half my job. The other half is telling you how to fix it so it doesn't happen again. Apple has hidden the option to disable it in the not really convenient place of Settings -> Passcode Lock -> Siri. From there you can disable access to Siri if your phone is locked. Why this isn't the default blows my mind. I know that security and useability are mutually exclusive but I feel that they should have sacrificed the convince here for just a tad more security.

Why Android will never achieve the same experience as iOS.

2011-10-09T14:33:00.009-04:00

I firmly believe Android will continue to have the bigger slice of the 'smartphone market' and will continue to grow that share and presence.

But Mountain View understood a long time ago that this came at a price.

The same price all the previous platform giants in industry have paid in the past; Microsoft, IBM, Sun, Adobe et all. They all understood that market dominance doesn't necessarily produce excellent products. That sometimes, the sheer massiveness of the whole ecosystem can eventually threaten it's very existence.

That price is the ability to never fully realize or, execute as designers and engineers have planned. No matter how many resources are thrown at a given product, the inherency abound will just never ensure a certain type of reaction from a user.

And that is the point at the end of the fiscal quarter.

Here is a preview for Infinity Blade 2, exclusive to the iOS. This is real time rendering from the A5 dual-core CPU/GPU combo in the iPhone 4S.

If you've played the original Infinity Blade, you would agree that Nintendo's days at the top of the portable heap are numbered. Let alone Android.

The plain fact of the matter is; Android will never have the true hardware abstraction of the iOS.

Running a business vertically and inspecting every element from top to bottom may be tedious and perceived as too micro - however the only way to produce console quality graphics in a device designed to be able to at least place 2 or 3 calls for o, at least the span 6 hrs?

The only way is to develop your own chip, ensure your own production scale and delve down, way down the layers until you're at the physical level - the point at which you measure every last electron running across microscopic wire. Spec every effin on/off toggle/gate, where you can optimize completely.

Android's 'Open Source' multi-manufacturer, multi-class ecosystem just has way too many variables to account for. It just never seems to get rid of that LAG.

From I’ll Just Cherry-Pick the Negative Part Because I’m a Biased Pro-Apple Shill, Not Because It’s Further Proof That Android Has Endemic Performance Problems or Anything Like That:

Vlad Savov, hands-on with the just-announced Samsung Galaxy Nexus:

As to overall performance, we saw a good deal of stutter in the Galaxy Nexus before us. Taps were not always recognized and there were occasional delays in performing an instruction, though in Google’s defense, it was a phone fully loaded with running tasks and the software is being continually improved and optimized (i.e. it’s not yet fully baked). That having been said, it unfortunately remains the case that Android isn’t as swift and responsive as iOS or Windows Phone (or even MeeGo Harmattan on the N9). Or at least it wasn’t on the demo phone we got a look at. The subtle, pervasive lag that has characterized the Android UI since it inception is still there, which is not a heartening thing to hear when you’re talking about a super-powered dual-core device like the Galaxy Nexus.

Android phones aren't bad devices at all. They are what they are. (but IMO, Windows Mobile did the hacking thing better.)

However the fact of the matter is, what good are clock cycle numbers and bragging rights and having this and that - when you can't even just demo an example of the hard work?

Why I can't wait to preorder the iPhone 4S.

2011-10-07T11:49:00.004-04:00

I cant wait to pre-order the iPhone 4S. Its 9:39 PM, and the phone goes on sale @ 3:00 AM.

It's '4 AM on the iPhone 3G line @ the 5th ave store' all over again.

This product is more than a phone; it becomes an obsession. Year after year, on launch day or week or month, it's all about hunting for the latest from Shenzen. Call it whatever you want; but as Joel Podolny put it: "I cannot think of one [business] that has had as tremendous personal meaning for me as Apple".

There's all this hate all over the innanet about supposed disappointment with what literally is a next gen iPhone in a body I do not have to buy a new case for. The design is already the sexiest design on the market, and does everything any other device can do - most times better.

However this post isn't to justify a take 2 on shoddy antennas and a lousy build; it is to justify the purchase for those who PREFER the iOS experience over others.

Here are 4 reasons why, if you are what you consider a power user, an Apple fanboi, whatever - that those who appreciate better unified design and experience, exclusive apps you will NEVER see on any other mobile platform for at least 5 years, better battery life, etc - why you should consider the 4S.

1. It can read your text messages.

I admit I thought 'google voice' too when I read that live blog update. Then I watched the demos. Then saw BBC's demo. It can read and reply to text messages. This is a BOON for drivers. Especially if Siri is supported through Bluetooth. This through Sync? It would blow away any other in-car communication system on the market.

O, and they'll prob add more key words and algorithms as updates roll on. Enjoy yelling 'call dad' at least three times on Android, haters!

2. The camera.

The camera is definitely one of the top 4 functions of the iPhone I use constantly. From capturing quick moments to making a point to a friend, the camera on my phone is one of the most important features.

The performance of the current iPhone 4's camera leaves a lot to be desired. Cell phone optics coupled with just a generally slow experience definitely can make a user wish for greener pastures. The current 'top dog' in camera phone performance is HTC's MyTouch 4G Slide and while it edges out the 4S' camera in specs only slightly - with the new hardware and software improvements in iOS 5 we should expect an overall increase in user experience.

I go to a lot of concerts and live music events and there are plenty of times I wish the iPhone camera was just better. The improvements such as better optics in low light, on the fly image stabilization, and faster overall usage speeds will definitely make this an upgrade you can definitely feel.

I'd much rather have a better camera that can actually work day to day than a new design.

3. The A5 processor.

The A5 CPU/GPU combo in the iPhone 4S maybe wasn't a surprise but it is a very welcome upgrade.

I don't want to go into benchmark wars over this, but if the masses are worried if Apple's latest darling isn't 'on-par' with the latest 'let's throw as much horsepower as we can @ an unoptimized OS' smartphone competitor - they have nothing to worry about. The dual core A5 combo in the iPad 2 already matches the Galaxy S II in 3d performance and speed.

But comparisons aren't the story here; at the end of the day its all about experience.

And If you prefer the iOS experience, the 4S with the A5 will give you a better overall time than previous iPhones (duh). I'm personally looking forward to faster email, SMS, maps, and other improvements across the experience I've grown to love and prefer.

4. It's both CDMA and GSM.

Unfortunately the subsidized US iPhone 4S is still carrier locked but that belies the fact that the iPhone 4S is the famed 'dual-standard' iPhone with support for both protocols that was rumored so extensively only a year ago.

It will probably require a hack (not exactly easier on Android either) but the ability to take the phone between the 2 biggest carriers in the US? if there was ever a 'last iPhone' to buy, it would be the 4S. Well, until the iPhone 6 comes out that is.

All in all we are entering a new era in smartphones. The era in which there are actual legitimate iPhone competitors? That's mean; I suppose there 'always have been' right? Well, honestly with iPhones at ALL price levels, I hope a bigger GHz number is really worth that much more over an ecosystem with this much support and an experience that no competitor can match. Happy hunting.

iPhone 4+ or iPhone 5

2011-09-27T11:41:00.000-04:00

So much for updating this more often...

Anyway, we're right around the corner from an announcement from Apple regarding the new handset(s) that should be unveiled in a matter of weeks. For the first time, I think I'm concerned about the lack of rumors and potential new features that may be available on the new device(s). Could it be? I'm actually seriously considering hopping fences to the Android world?

Well, let's see. What are the benefits of the next iPhone?

iOS 5 - biggest update yet, but it will be available on the iPhone 4.
NFC? - will Apple include this in this iteration?
LTE? - is LTE readily available for Apple to include it in this iteration as well? I think it should, but I have my doubts.
8MP camera - the iPhone 4 camera is pretty good as-is. An increase in pixels will help a bit, but it's negligible.
Bigger screen? Maybe? Eh.
64GB storage? I doubt it, especially with iCloud making its debut soon.
1 GB of RAM instead 512 MB. More RAM is always good.
A5 dual-core CPU as found in the iPad 2? Probably a safe bet. Great, more speed.

It just seems like this will be more of an iPhone 4+ update, similar to the 3G updating to the 3GS than anything. That would be fairly disappointing I think. Thoughts?

iOS 5 Notifications

2011-05-28T14:16:00.000-04:00

Apparently at this year's WWDC, Apple will announce a new iOS notification system as well as the use of Widgets. The existing 4-year old system needs a massive overhaul. If there's one thing that makes me yearn for Android, WebOS, etc. it's their excellent notification system. Sure, I could jailbreak my iPhone and get a pretty good one in place, but why do I have to do that? It's a damn shame it's taken Apple this long to release something.

It's a flawed system and it's unfortunate/sad that a new notification system in iOS 5 is the big "draw" this year. I'd be lying if I didn't look at Samsung Galaxy Android phones or the Nexus S without envy and think about crossing over to the other side. Then I hear about my co-workers and friends who have constant crashes, need to pull their batteries frequently, and other annoying things that remind me to stick with the big fruit.

I'm just hoping something worthwhile, in typical Apple fashion, comes out and makes sense. *Fingers crossed* And honestly? If they don't, I refuse to jailbreak for such a "feature." I'll consider hopping over.

Know Your Audience

2011-05-06T17:13:00.002-04:00

There's a place for almost any piece of technology in this world.
And this religious war between Android and Apple sometimes seems like it will never end.

Having spent a considerable amount of time with the two newest tablet offerings from each coalition (Xoom and iPad), I can honestly say each one has its strengths and weaknesses. Just like their mobile offerings they're geared toward different types of audiences.

I willingly admit, I am not the biggest fan of Apple. To me, they're about as good as Sony; closed, greedy and proprietary. However what I look for in a product is apparently not what most people consider. I NEED to modify, tinker, customize and tailor things to my liking. My curiosity always wins out and I just have to see what I can do with I'm given. For me, Android offers that customization. Sure it takes some work, lots of research as well as trial and error but in the end I can create an experience custom tailored to me. I don't mind putting in the time, effort and money to make it work. Some might call it sadistic ... I call it fun.

For others that just want to turn it on out of the box and go, Apple is a clear winner. When you can control both your hardware and software, you minimize variables and create a stable environment with few variances. This is where the iPad shines. Its user experience is clean, simple and friendly to use. I could give this to my Grandmother and she'd be twittering about the latest TMZ articles and emailing her votes to Dancing with the Stars in minutes.

But for those of us that need to feed our curiosity of customization and are used to that kind of unhinged technological freedom, using an iPad is suffocating. It's like going from a democracy to KGB era Soviet Russia. And the reverse seems to be true as well. If all you've ever known is what Apple has shown you, jumping into a free and open world with no hand holding or guidance can be daunting, even tragic (rm -rf *). It's like those old text based adventure games, "You are all alone in a wide open field, What do you do?"

Being a semi-knowledgeable tech person, I always get asked for recommendations and tablets are no exception. Both tablets work very well for what their intended purpose is and I feel it comes down to which set of requirements you are trying to fulfill. Consider your audiences before recommending one, as each have their place in this wonderful world of technology.

Thunderbolt I/O, and the single-port PC.

2011-05-05T09:43:00.012-04:00

There is no question as to where Apple lies in the technology space. There are times where the term 'cutting edge' doesn't describe the innovation that goes into their products.

However even then it isn't so much about the innovation - but the foresight that is the key to their success. Apple has some very smart people working for them, starting with Steve Jobs himself. The foresight that allows the company to plan and execute way beyond what any large tech company can muster, that's the magic behind all these success stories.

There are many examples of this type of foresight. The foresight to seek, identify, and apply new developments in technology to solve new problems and create new tangible solutions to the same issues. Having a completely vertical ecosystem helps a little bit too - it's easier to lose the floppy drive when you're designing and engineering hardware AND software in house.

The latest example of this foresight is the new Thunderbolt technology in the latest Macs. My hope is to give you the reader some background and context in order to better explain the significance of this technology.

Thunderbolt I/O technology, formerly known as Light Peak, is now making its way onto real, live physical products you can buy today. By now I'm sure a lot of the tech world knows but the new data transfer bus is fast. Blisteringly fast. Faster than any other data transfer tech we've had in the consumer realm before. The benchmarks and specs are available online and needless to say - this is the next generation of ports and plugs.

However even at the estimated 10 Gbps transfer rate, the sheer geek cred of the new bus isn't the story here - but rather what is important is: 'what exactly can be transferred on this wire?'

And that's the main question at the end of the day, isn't it? How do I apply this?

Apple has the answer - Thunderbolt will be your ONLY port from here on out.

TB can be described as, an externalized PCIe and Graphics (DisplayPort) bus. Basically a way to easily and externally use devices traditionally only used internally due to speed requirements. Now with TB, those speed requirements are met.

What does this mean? Imagine something like a PCIe card-bank or cage accessory that would allow you to use 'internal' cards like high-end video cards, Firewire 400/800 + USB 2.0/3.0 interfaces, Gigabit Ethernet cards, etc. Now, imagine being able to use all this by simply plugging this into the TB port on a Macbook Pro or theoretically, an Air? Completely changes the idea of 'docking', doesn't it?

Apple's foresight doesn't end there, either. With bandwidth this large, and hopefully, a large 3rd-party ecosystem to go with it, there will be no more need for differentiated ports on the backs of desktops and laptops.

With one port that can be expanded and deflated depending on user needs, there will be no need for built in USB/Firewire/Ethernet/ExpressCard/DisplayPort/HDMI/etc ports any longer. Don't need an HDMI port? Don't get the accessory, etc etc.

At the same time, Thunderbolt is not about 'replacing' USB/FW/Ethernet or any other current I/O port on the market. TB can be looked at as simply a 'backbone' type architecture that provides a system in which the hardware needs are dictated fully by a user, not by constraints forcing a manufacturer to provide only 2 or 3 USB ports, etc. Namely, you would still plug in your printer via USB; you would just probably have to use an adapter of some kind. Hell, the current physical port used by Apple may not be the plug used going forward into the future.

Even further, with the rise of dual-core SoC's, it will only be a matter of time before mobile devices of the future begin to make use of TB - not only to transfer data but to provide 1080p HD video out and other features.

I feel like I don't even need to go into the benefits of having only 1 or 2 of the same kind ports on your hardware devices. The sheer logistical value from manufacturing, to sales, to support would be astronomical and its readily apparent that it definitely reinforces Apple's idea of making computing easier and more accessible than before.

The future product applications are exciting. Take for example, the ultraportable notebook. Since we would only need 1 or 2 ports, think about how much thinner and more svelte we can make future notebooks? Especially if we no longer have to make considerations for ports and using those ports. TB will change this market and perceptions regarding what an ultraportable can or can not do.

It will not be sudden, and it will take time (USB took time to catch on also) but with the latest round of Intel's processors (Sandy Bridge, Ive Bridge, Haswell, and beyond) we are moving ever closer to this paradigm. Apple and Intel might have finally solved the issue of the desktop replacement.

The Smartphone Location Debate

2011-04-27T14:50:00.000-04:00

Just a quick blurb about all this press regarding one's iPhone tracking your location, etc. Does anyone realize what they have in their pockets? They have a smartphone capable of performing a majority of functions that were once confined to a massive desktop computer. Along this processing power, people have pocket-sized GPS units.

Let's forget GPS for a moment. It may not be as accurate, but don't you know that your cell phone carrier is fairly aware of everywhere you go with a phone that is connected to their network? It's silly and foolish to believe otherwise.

I'm perfectly fine with my location data being tracked. I voluntarily give it up on Foursquare as it is. Thousands are "checking in" everyday, whether on Foursquare or Facebook Places, or even Google Latitude. Apple will fix this "bug" in an upcoming version of iOS and that'll be that. It's also quite amusing to think that the Android, WebOS, Windows Phone, and Blackberry users are not in the same boat. You all have smartphones with location services. Please stop kidding yourselves.

Still, if one truly wants privacy, don't get a smartphone, first off. Second, don't even get a contract phone. Get an anonymous prepaid phone that you turn off when you're not using it or don't get one at all. At least from a cellular standpoint, your security and privacy will be a bit more intact.

iPhone Predictions 2011

2011-04-25T14:26:00.000-04:00

It's that time again where the rumor mill is running rampant. All signs are currently pointing to a new iPhone no sooner than September of this year- a departure from the June/July release schedule Apple has stuck with since 2007.

I believe Apple wants to remain competitive with specs and features even though they are considered to be secondary as opposed to the overall user-experience as can be found on the iPad 2. I agree with this philosophy as squeezing out a few more MHz here or there is no longer the make or break selling point as it once was. I'd bet less than 10% of the folks that purchased an iPad 2 know that it has a dual-core processor, and what speed it actually runs at. It's an Apple A5 dual-core processor. Great! Moving right along...

Let's see what's in store for the iPhone 4S? Is the iPhone 4 as it is right now strong enough to stand on its own legs without a major update? I believe so. I also believe that there will be minor adjustments and changes that will fall in line with a 4S (incremental) update, as opposed to revolutionary one.

My predictions for what's in the next iPhone, and this is part of my own feelings along with what I've read on other popular tech blogs.

All bands for both CDMA and GSM. Why make multiple hardware devices? Release one. Update one. Maintain one. Allow for one user to utilize their phone on any network anywhere. Think about the power of that. Is it possible? Why not? Doesn't Qualcomm already have a chipset that can handle this? This would be further indication that a T-Mobile and Sprint iPhone should be around the corner. Remember- when the Verizon iPhone was released, it was based on a non-exclusive deal.
NFC - Near Field Communication. I thought the iPhone 4 would have originally had this, but it appears that the next version should almost definitely have this. The Samsung Nexus S has this already. I don't believe the apps or services are out there yet, but as with most of the Apple innovations or rather- incorporations, things will be built to utilize it to the best of its ability.
Upgraded cameras - the front facing camera could use a bump in megapixels. I still believe the rear camera on the iPhone 4 trumps the competition, regardless of megapixels, but I'm sure increasing it to 8MP can't hurt. I believe Sony leaked a rumor about this.
64GB? Could it be we'll finally see a 64GB iPhone? I never thought I'd need more than my 32GB but I'm near the limit with the amount of music I like to carry around. Not to mention that games keep taking larger amounts of storage.
Apple A5 processor - match the iPad 2 in processing power, and perhaps the newer graphics as well so both devices are on par with each other.
Antenna redesign? I think this will come with 2012's update and maybe that aluminum back as opposed to the current, more fragile, glass one. I don't believe this will happen in this year's refresh.

All in all, if Apple hits even half of those they seem to be fairly conservative updates. That is also why I believe it'll be more like a 3G --> 3GS update, as opposed to a brand new iPhone 5. Then again, who knows!

I'll face the same turmoil (yes, turmoil) I did when I opted to skip the iPhone 3GS and wait it out til the 4 was released. I don't know if I'll be able to pass up an update going forward, even if it does cost me more, but we shall see.

DropBox Wonders

2011-03-29T11:31:00.000-04:00

I still remember the process of connecting my original Diamond Multimedia Rio PMP300 to my Pentium-powered PC through a parallel (LPT) port cable and transferring a handful of MP3s over the old technology. It was an exhilarating, fun, exciting, and highly unreliable experience. But man, was it cool!

Nothing beats what we are able to do these days, and I can't wait until iTunes is in the cloud and this supposed "Music Locker" service Apple is supposedly coming out with.

Until then though, I amazed myself a bit the other day. Using some less than legal means, I downloaded an album that I wanted to listen to before purchasing it (I still purchase CDs and music legally - sometimes I just need to have a listen before doing so. Relax.) on one computer at the ol' workplace. While I was happy I had the album, I didn't want to sync my iPhone with my work computer and I didn't have a USB thumb drive lying around. What to do?

I often forget the benefit of using DropBox. Oh, I'll just drop the album in my free DropBox account and then obtain it when I get home when I power up the ol' PC and it syncs the files automatically. Really, if you have never used DropBox, and want to, please go here and join the world of online file storage. You get 2GB for free and they have additional paid options.

So, I copied the folder over to DropBox and had a game plan set for the evening. I took the hour and a half commute on the train and arrived at my car. At that moment I thought how great it would've been had I synched my iPhone at work and had the new music to listen to whilst in the car.

Then this idea sparked- I have the DropBox app on my iPhone. Could I stream the new album...?

Ok, seriously, I know for most people nowadays this isn't that crazy or cool or amazing, but I definitely was amazed. Here I am streaming MP3s that I copied into my DropBox folder over the 3G network while I drive home. No synch required! It's just a testament to the features some of these outstanding apps have and can provide. Of course, a huge part of this is that DropBox offers such a compelling service tying into the iOS platform and what Apple has accomplished. Kudos to all parties involved. Hey, even AT&T held up its end of the bargain by working throughout the 10 mile drive.

Just think of what I'll be blogging about in 10 years from now... (if blogs still exist).

iOS 5 and Apple's consumer electronics business cont.

2011-03-25T00:42:00.006-04:00

With the release of the iPad 2, things are coming to light and beginning to solidify what I expect to be a BIG year for Apple's iOS. For those of you who STILL haven't converted and are kinda thinking about dipping into the waters; you guys are definitely in for a treat this year.

The two big things I predict for the iPhone 5 are a bigger screen, and a nice new GUI to go with that screen.

http://www.macrumors.com/2011/02/26/iphone-5-part-shows-larger-screen-thinner-bezel/

The screen is heavily rumored to be expanded from 3.5 inches to 4, aiming squarely for the HTC's claiming screen superiority. Can't wait to see how Retina will look on this display.

However, I think the most exciting news are the little tidbits we are getting about iOS 5. It's hard not to get excited when seeing a new patent come through from Apple for it's UI. Like this one:

http://www.macstories.net/news/could-the-itunes-store-and-address-book-look-like-this-in-ios-5/

These are patents recently submitted by Apple for what appears to be designs for Contacts and the iTunes music store. Even in these preliminary drawings, gone is the drab circa-2007 endless grey lists and in it's place we see something with interactive tiles along the lines of Windows Phone 7 (which has some amazing touch elements of its own). These are manifestations of Apple's "Segmented Graphical Representations" concept, a welcomed move towards more interaction with graphics and thumbnails, rather than lines of graphic texts like we have now.

Some tangible applications would be more leaning towards visual representations made up of these tiles, such as in Contacts above. It would designed intuitively enough for the user to easily switch between sending a text, initiating a FaceTime call, etc - all without scrolling through texts. This could even be a tidbit of what we see in more social network integration, heavily rumored in iOS 5 as well.

Of course we will see the obligatory RAM upgrade, jump to A5 processing - possibly even a 64 GB model. The upgrades in screen size and a new GUI (hopefully with a new notification system ) will definitely keep Apple ahead of everyone in the pack.

Luckily we will know soon before long.

The Tablet as an instrument.

2011-03-10T18:24:00.004-05:00

The growth of music and technology are closely related, direct relationships that have served only to better the enjoyment of the art. It is only fitting that with the latest wave of 'post-personal computing' we also see new ways to compose music. The iPad clearly shows itself as the creative person's tablet. Its well-executed features such as its spacious and gorgeous IPS display and touch-from-the-ground-up GUI lends itself well to whatever developers imagine, and that includes music software devs, too.

However, hardware and OS designs are only a fraction of the picture. The beauty of the device is how effectively it gets out of the way for the software to do it's job. Software and peripherals from a grand mass of 3rd party support - coming up with solutions for different applications.

Nothing exemplifies how important the vertical, top-down ecosystem is to the success of Apple's iOS business than the rising tide of music creation on the iPad. The key is, by enforcing a rigid internal approval apparatus Apple has ensured that important aspects of the experience are not lost or hard to recall. This allows their table computer to be a keyboard, a sequencer, a MIDI sound source, beat machine, or even a DAW:

Apple's new Digital Audio Workstation software, GarageBand for iPad.

One only need browse the app store for 'music' apps. Imagine taking old, expensive (and heavy!) analog equipment known for certain sounds and successfully creating quality software emulation of those pieces, such as Korg's amazing line of synth apps. Take a look at someone creating electronic music off of the iMS-20 app - an emulation of one of the greatest synthesizers, the MS-20:

There are even new ways to 'create' music. Check out this OSC controller app PERFORMER by a company called Konkreet. A totally new touch interface design controller for the synth patches within DAW's such as Ableton Live or Logic:

KONKREET PERFORMER is here! from Konkreet Labs on Vimeo.

There are a number of apps where this approach manifests itself into great quality 'instruments'; apps like Looptastic HD and 'djay' (an app that's basically 2 turntables, playing anything from your iPod library - so simple) coupled with Apple's consistently well designed hardware for audio output put the iPad way in front of the pack when it comes to music content creation - the others haven't even BEGUN to think about what their tablets would be used for.

Check out world-famous pianist Lang Lang play an encore on his iPad:

What really excites me however, is this:

This totally blew me away when it was introduced around the time of the iPad 2's intro. I've used headphone-based solutions for getting a guitar signal into the iPad but being a headphone amp meant for the ohm loads of the white iPod headphones, it simply won't transfer well enough for primetime. At least, not without A LOT of hiss and noise.

I've always hoped they would eventually create an all digital means of getting the analog signal of an instrument like a guitar into an iPad app. With the upgraded hardware of the iPad 2 (this is compatible with the iPad 1 as well) we have already reached the power needed from what is essentially a mobile device SoC - and it gets 10 hours of battery to boot.

Make no mistake; this little guy is a game-changer. This is made by a company called Apogee Electronics - considered the de facto standard for digital/analog conversion. I'm sure most, if not all of the current top 40 hits have been recorded with Apogee conversion. A $99 truly portable piece with professional-level conversion? No more lugging around that Powerbook or Macbook Pro + MBox anymore.

I'm sure we're not at the point where Lady Gaga will drop everything for an iPad - but the interesting developments occurring, only during the 2nd generation no less is proof to the ongoing success of the iPad in creative markets. Ableton Live with a touch interface would be my killer app, BTW.

What's the big deal about Apple?

2011-03-08T19:59:00.004-05:00

So I've never been in to the hype of Apple products. Prior to 2010, I've only ever had 1 iPod that I didn't use until I started having a long commute to work. I just didn't get why people spent so much money on a product with similar substitutions.

Boy was I wrong!!

Last year was a big year. I wouldn't necessarily say I bought into the hype, but I've given it a chance. The way I figured it, if I didn't like it this one time, I would never like it, thus only 1 Apple purchase was made. No harm, no foul.

The first product I was going to see if I was happy with was a MacBook Pro 13". I had gotten rid of my laptop, and it was perfect timing to get a new one. I bought the lowest end MacBook Pro, thinking it would be enough for me to get a good understanding of the Mac OS X, and get a hang of things. What an eye opener!! It was so quick, easy to use, and so intuitive. Not only that, it was perhaps the best looking piece of electronics I have ever purchased. I still wasn't completely sold on Apple, but this initial purchase gave me the confidence in trying more Apple products.

The second product I started to use was the iPad. I was sure I wouldn't use a tablet and that there was no need for it. I had an Android phone, and it did everything I needed. I could browse the internet, play games, see my calendar, chat with my friends, etc. The iPad literally sat in it's box for 3 months. Then, I discovered the power of the Jailbreak. I started downloading all the apps that I thought I would use. I started doing word processing, using spreadsheets, taking notes easily, and of course playing all those HD games. It had so much screen "real estate". It was just so comfortable to read an e-book on and to perform my daily tasks.

Which leads into 2011...

I still wasn't sold on Apple at this point.

In February of 2011, I started reading "Inside Steve's Brain". A friend of mine said this book will change your world. Not knowing much about Apple previously, this book really gave me a new perspective of not only Steve Jobs, but Apple as a company. Learning just how much of a perfectionist Steve Jobs was, made me realize that he would never put out a product that wasn't to it's fullest potential at the time. The industrial design was award winning, but I just didn't see it until now. The anticipation grew until I finished the book.

On March 2, 2011, my world was turned upside down. I had never heard a keynote from Steve Jobs before, but the anticipation of the iPad 2 led me to watch this keynote. The passion that he spoke with, was like a kid who got his first A. He seemed so proud of the new iPad 2 and all the other improvements. He completely sold me. I sat for 67 minutes watching perhaps the most innovative man of the modern era.

I was finally sold on Apple.

My decision to sell my iPad and upgrade to the iPad 2 followed that decision. Today, I realized that I loved Apple. I have made the conscious decision to give up my Android phone in order to purchase the iPhone 4 on Verizon. Knowing of Apple's release cycles, I knew a newer iPhone was inevitable, but I couldn't wait any longer. I will be purchasing an iPhone 4 at full price until the new model comes out, at which point I will be getting an upgrade.

I will be purchasing an Apple TV in the near future as well.

The day has come...

I am now a believer in Apple. I'm converted. No longer just a PC and Android user. I've gone through the process of seeing how these products worked and not buying into the hype.

You know what? Apple is a big deal. They design beautiful products THAT WORK!

There's no turning back now.

Welcome to the world of Apple.

Apple is a big deal.

ABSOLUTE ANNOYANCE

2011-03-02T23:04:00.006-05:00

Dear [Insert prominent worship figure here],

Please make the man in charge of my Operating System usability experience suffer greatly. Whoever thought it was a good idea to have a 'Safely Eject Removable Device' option burred in a sea of left-clicks and right, should die a horrible, horrid and humiliating death tonight.

Sure I can just yank the drive out of the port but that's not the point. Removable and swappable drives/media are a core part of the hardware any Operating System is installed on. You should make it easier to unmount a media type that is designed for portability in the real world. For [Insert prominent worship figure here]'s sake, it takes me longer to find your eject button than it does for me to copy data to it. You sir, are the reason I will always prefer CLI to GUI.

This infuriating annoyance should not have to be endured by all. I have created a shortcut and added that functionality to my right-click menu. No more shall I want to punch babies in the face because of your asinine oversight... which coincidentally, just makes me more delighted to return to my home's command line at night.

--=Q=--

Relavant Links:
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/create-a-shortcut-or-hotkey-to-immediately-eject-a-specific-usb-drive/

http://www.jfitz.com/tips/rclick_custom.html

Auto Trend Out Option

2011-02-27T21:35:00.000-05:00

With all these social networks updating in real time with media events taking place, people normally get swarmed with updates about said event and more often than not, the same amount of updates that focus on the event, others post how they don't care about it.

Perhaps Facebook, Twitter, and the other sites can have an auto-media event shut off option.

So, let's take tonight for example. Here I am writing about the Academy Awards and you know there is an onslaught of updates occurring on Facebook and Twitter right now about each nominee, each movie, each actor, etc, adding to the so-called 'cause' of an auto-shut-off. This blog is read by maybe 14 people so it's not really an eye-sore or an annoyance per se.

However, for Facebook or Twitter, perhaps a quick little "Hide " button for easy-access. Then again, even having such a feature will probably result in a bunch of people still complaining about it, so maybe all of this is for naught.

Epic Meal Time

2011-02-14T15:55:00.007-05:00

I've seen some crazy stuff online but these guys are really and truly Epic.

Epic Meal Time crew has a bunch more if you haven't seen them. All of them are worth checking out.

I'ma bout to go make some candy bacon up in this piece.
EpicMealTime.com

--=Q=--

The Future of Flickr

2011-01-19T10:54:00.000-05:00

It seems like every day Yahoo! is closing its doors on another one of its assets and is conveniently forgetting to update others. Yahoo owns Flickr, and this is a concern for me since I have close to 4,000 photos uploaded to Flickr. I am a paying customer and gladly renew every year.

I would hate to wake up one day and get a notice in the mail telling me that Flickr has been shut down. Quite frankly, I don't understand why there are no minor advertisements in Flickr. It can be done tastefully and open up a world of ad-revenue for Yahoo and perhaps earn them some money.

If Yahoo is going to keep following this downward spiral, then they should sell Flickr off to someone else. Perhaps Facebook can buy it out or Microsoft, or even Apple. The Flickr site looks like it could've been developed by Apple anyway. That'd be quite interesting. Native integration with iOS and OS X.

Regardless, I'm hoping that someone at Yahoo understands that Flickr is an outstanding asset and if they feel that they need to rake in some more revenue, if done right, they can easily introduce some form of advertising on the non-paid Flickr pages and make sure it's an entity that stays intact.

What are my alternatives if Flickr goes kaput? Picasa? Facebook? Eh. I rather not keep all my eggs in one basket. It's one of the few services I use Yahoo for. I hope Yahoo doesn't destroy one of the last good assets they have left.

iOS 5; and the future of Apple's mobile business.

2011-01-06T00:29:00.002-05:00

It is CES-eve 2011 in Las Vegas and as I browse through posts on various relevant tech sites, I notice an interesting dynamic. A dynamic perhaps that may force Apple to rethink its strategy in the marketplace. Arguably, the core markets of Apple's consumer electronics business are being attacked at all sides; each seeking to get their piece of the pie - and year after year, they're getting better at it.

The truth is Apple is at a crossroads. While they've fleshed out and designated the core hierarchy of personal computing, competitors are beginning to realize their places in the market and learning from their mistakes. They're developing products that continue to increase sales on the notion of which smartphone can do what now.

Still Apple products do manage to maintain the highest user satisfaction rates, regardless of their shortcomings. However the 'Apple way of doing things' - locking down the OS, insisting on constructing the hardware, and just plain stubbornness may force Apple to rethink their place in the smartphone and tablet market. Most certainly for the long term as choices made in the near term will determine the road Apple will take with the iPhone and iPad.

Which leads me to iOS 5. How this OS is will give us some clues as to what direction Apple is heading. It is 4 years since the introduction of the iPhone and they now have 4 legitimate and formidable competitors in their space, each with deep deep pockets to throw at this market.

RIM may be questionable on the phone side however they seem to be full speed ahead with their tablet, the Playbook. If they can maintain the smoothness shown in the demos and reduce that trademark blackberry clunkiness...Sprint 4G is a good start.

Microsoft impressed critics with Windows phone 7 last year. The OS currently has 5,000 apps in its respective app store and growing. HTC's increasingly masterful hardware coupled with multitasking and it's 'fresher than iPhone' GUI will secure its place in the market.

HP/Palm WebOS is another pretty GUI queen that with significant boost in funding (thanks to Hewlett "me too" Packard) is sure to result in more brains behind the beauty. When WebOS was released in 2009 they invented true social network integration with a serious implementation that others still haven't matched. How well devices manage their users' Internet demographic data will be the one of the battles for the future OS leader.

Google/Motorola/HTC. These people are on an obvious vendetta against Apple and their goal is to completely surpass them in market share. Conspiracies aside, they do stand a very good chance of being well, the biggest mobile OS platform [via Microsoft 1996]. They have their cards lined completely right, well planned and executed and have competitive products at all sectors. Preliminary video from the Moto booth @ CES 2011 shows some interesting UI action with Honeycomb for tablets and they will also be the OS of choice for upcoming AT&T and Verizon 4G smart phones. As the market expands at all price points Android has the best chance for extensibility.

Not only that, the fragmentation may not be as much of a crutch for Apple as Jobs may believe Android has the largest market share and has captured enough of the public attention to at least be understood as a 'choice' rather than a iPhone-killer.

This is the market facing iOS 5 and Apple's CE business (which also includes AppleTV - it completely ties together). Keep in mind it's pretty much the same interface from 4 years ago -there still isn't notifications on the task bar. While the Facebook app for iPhone is hardly acceptable as a feature to stand up to the social integration of Synergy in WebOS. The time has come for Apple to be serious about the direction this OS will take.

Are we steady as she goes Jobsy? Still the same 4 x 4 with 4 icon dock and no ability for date in the toolbar? Eh, that may work for 1 to 3 more cycles but with phones coming with 2 GHz processors nowadays that 'locked sandbox' environment wont fly no more. The interface is elegant enough but consumers will continue to grow more savvy as time goes on.

If anything - iOS needs to begin splitting between more unique iPad and iPhone specific versions. The examples and abilities touted by newer tablets will continue to draw up the heat on Apple to compromise more. Its easy to have the market all to yourself for a year without any real competitors. The current state of the iOS, most notably the GUI and lack of file system will begin to be the iPad's achilles heel. If Apple really expects us to follow their paradigm and spend $100/mo on a an iPhone or other smartphone the least they can do is make their tablet really more of a computer than a cell phone. The screen real estate conceptualized it- a unique, redesigned from the ground up, specifically for iPad version of the iOS could cement the iPad as the choice for the tablet sector.

Which direction will Apple take? It currently has very large market shares in CE which contrasts heavy with their 'core' business model which really has pity scraps ( < 10% of the PC market). Can Apple run this business in a way that can keep itself dominant or choose to bow to it's beliefs rather than pander to the latest fads like the others? Apple management seems bothered enough by Android's share to begin chatter through the major analyst lines for a multi carrier iPhone. That will probably unstreamline their logistics come sale time, however it will be necessary - IF their goal is to remain dominant both in sales and the public eye. The concept of 'make the consumer less of a system integrator and more of a happy user' may work in the PC market but it may not fit in the cellular or tablet paradigm.

My whole point is Apple needs to seriously think about the direction of iOS 5 and sure enough 6. If 'no compromise' ends up working for RIM's Playbook and Google's Honeycomb tablets -especially if it translates into sales, Apple's tablet star could fade and they could end up with the 'elite' tablet that only 4% of tablet users will own. Apple can no longer afford to simply roll out another black screen with 4 x 4 icons, 4 icon dock and a +1 to the version number. They will have to eventually stop touting some feature every other smartphone already has as a 'new feature' for iOS (x+1) each year and begin releasing OS' that have these features already there because it's intended to be dominant in the market. Perhaps break the cycle and spend another year to redesign iOS. I'd wait for a 'no compromise' iPhone.

Microsoft Kinect

2010-11-07T10:53:00.000-05:00

I'll be the first to admit when I think something is gimmicky. When Project Natal was first announced and demo'd I thought it was interesting but was very skeptical in it's promised experience. I figured there's no way it can pull off what it does and everyone would clearly need a new Xbox 360 for it.

Well, here we are, 4 days after launch and my family and I have been playing it for the past 3 days. While it's not perfect as some of the gestures and required spacing for play are somewhat finicky, the overall experience is exactly what Microsoft promised.

It's a huge win for Microsoft. It's taken what started with the Wii and brought motion to the next level. PlayStaition Move feels like the Wii on steroids. The Kinect is in a field of it's own. The bottom line is no review can transpose what it's actually like. You have to experience it for yourself. Very rarely can something be so intuitive. A 3-year old is literally winning races in JoyRide. When he realized that whatever he was doing was being accurately portrayed on the screen his mind (and ours) were blown.

Another reason I think this is a huge win is because it forces you off the couch. There's no success in wrist-flicking like you can with the Wii. While some may see this as a drawback or a hindrance, I think it's important for the image of gaming. There's countless games for the old-hat controller style, so this is a good alternative option for controlling. I am sure I'm not alone in the fact that if I use this on a somewhat regular basis, there's no way I won't lose weight. The Dance Central game (Rock Band for dancing and dance songs) had me sweating after 4 songs. That's ridiculous. Not to forget that it includes a workout mode. Factor in the infancy of games right now and what developers will come up with in the coming months, this is definitely the Holiday present for 2010.

For $149 if you already have an Xbox 360 or for $299 if you need the console and this, it's at a perfect price point. The technology behind the Kinect itself is very interesting and engineered very well. Let's face it (no pun intended) - the Kinect moves by itself to track you. Go try it. You need to see and feel what it's all about. Now back to Kinect Adventures.